1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector for a plurality of shielded wires that have at least their ends arranged substantially side by side.
2. Description of the Related Art
A known flat cable has a plurality of juxtaposed shielded wires covered by a film. A shorting element is secured at an end of the flat cable and engages the shielding layers of the respective shielded wires, and cores of the wires are exposed before the shorting element. U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,702 discloses a connector for such a flat cable. This connector has a housing that holds an end portion of the flat cable. The cores of shielded wires are connected individually with terminal fittings, and the terminal fittings also are held in the housing. The connector also includes a shielding shell that covers the housing and connects with the shielding layers of the shielded wires via the shorting element. The shielding shell achieves shielding effects, such as the removal of radiation noise. This connector is connected with a mating connector secured to a circuit board to connect the flat cable with a circuit on the circuit board.
The housing and the shell of the above-described connector are thin in view of a demand for miniaturization. Thus, center portions of the housing and the shell may deform out and open if the flat cable is pulled in the thickness direction. As a result, the flat cable may detach from the housing or the shielded cables may be cut at positions where the shorting element is secured.
In view of the above, an object of the invention is to provide a connector for a flat cable that can prevent the flat cable from being detached from a housing or being cut when being pulled in the thickness direction.
The invention relates to a connector for wires with end sections arranged substantially side by side. The wires may be part of a flat cable. The connector includes a housing that holds cores of the wires substantially side by side along a widthwise direction. The connector also includes a shielding shell that is connectable directly or indirectly with shielding layers on at least certain of the wires. The shielding shell covers and shields the housing. The shielding shell has a base shell and a lid shell that can be is opened and closed with respect to the base shell. A locking means is provided between the base shell and the lid shell for keeping the base and lid shells closed. The locking means is at least in a widthwise middle area at a rear end of the housing where the wires drawn out. Accordingly, the base and lid shells are kept closed by the locking means, and the housing and the shielding shell will not deform and open if the wires are pulled in a thickness direction normal to the longitudinal direction of the wires. This prevents the wires from being detached from the housing or being cut.
The shielding shell may comprise at least one wire-pressing portion for preventing the wires from being displaced along the thickness direction. The pressing portion may contact the shielded wires at the rear end of the housing. Accordingly, an external force will not be transmitted to portions of the wires in the housing, and the wires will not be cut, for example, at the shorting element. Wire-pressing portions may be at both the base and lid shells, and the shielded wires are held or sandwiched tightly between the wire-pressing portions.
The wire-pressing portion preferably is formed by bending a rear end of at least one of the base and lid shells to extend back substantially parallel to the flat cable. Thus, large contact surfaces with the shielded wires can be ensured, and it is difficult to damage the shielded wires.
At least one of the base and lid shells may comprise at least one strengthening portion for enhancing bending strength in the thickness direction, which is a direction substantially normal to the longitudinal direction of the wires. The locking means may be provided on the strengthening portion.
The locking means may comprise at least one lock plate inserted between adjacent shielded wires when the base and lid shells are closed.
The invention also relates to a method for mounting or assembling a connector to a plurality of substantially juxtaposed shielded wires. The shielded wires have cores that are held substantially side-by-side in a housing of the connector. The method comprises: providing a shielding shell having a base shell and a lid shell that can be opened and closed with respect to the base shell, mounting the shielding shell on the housing, and keeping the base and lid shells substantially closed with a locking means at a rear end of the housing where the flat cable is drawn out between the base shell and the lid shell.
The locking means for keeping the base and lid shells substantially closed is provided in a substantially widthwise middle portion at the rear end of the housing.
The invention also is directed to a shielding shell for use in the connector described above.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings. It should be understood that even though embodiments are described separately, single features thereof may be combined to additional embodiments.